In today’s Soundbites, our quick take on news, reviews and tabloid gossip, a personal note from Kurt Cobain is up for grabs, we take a look at Frankie & The Heartstrings’ new track and touring bands are given a helping hand by Taco Bell. There’s also news of a court success for Lily Allen, and Karen O gets involved with the Jackass boys.
If you have a spare two thousand dollars or so lying around, you might want to join in the bidding on a personal note scribed by the late Kurt Cobain which offers an insight into his inner battles with the corporate world. The note reads: ‘Dear Empty TV/ the entity of all Corporate / GODS / We will survive without you/ easily ‘ – the / oldschool is going / DOWN FAST/ my lifes Dedication/ is Now to Do Nothing/ But SLAG something / Kurdt Kobaineee professional Rock musician’. So if owning a once-private message is of interest head over to Julien’s online.
Ah these poor groups on tour, struggling to meet the costs of gigging since no-one actually buys their music anymore, it’s a wonder they can even afford to feed themselves. Well those big-hearted folks at Taco Bell have come to the rescue by offering one hundred bands the opportunity to spend $500 at their stores. Acts involved include Best Coast, Andrew WK and New Found Glory who’s bassist Ian Grushka said: “We are psyched to be working with Taco Bell and Feed the Beat. After having the Taco Bell Truck involved with our video for ‘Truck Stop Blues,’ we were afraid they’d never talk to us again.”
Sunderland’s Frankie & The Heartstrings released the single ‘Ungrateful‘ this week which, despite the now all-too-familiar structure of their name, comfortably pushes them above the majority of the disposable indie music of the moment. The track has the band pleading for admiration (‘you will never be impressed’), but they shouldn’t worry, with more gems like this up their sleeve they’ll have plenty of attention before long. Check out the video featuring frontman Frankie Francis doing his best modern-day Morrissey stich.
Singer Lily Allen has accepted damages at a London court from the French sports magazine So Foot after it alleged she had made offensive remarks about the Beckhams and Cheryl and Ashley Cole. Her solicitor Mark Thomson said the decision had ensured that her “reputation has been vindicated.” Lily Allen has previously received £10,000 from The Sun newspaper after it re-printed the false comments.
Yeah Yeah Yeah’s frontwoman Karen O has recorded a version of Roger Alan Wade’s country song ‘If You’re Gonna Be Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough‘, for the new Jackass 3D film. The track has become the anthem for the TV and film series over the years, and will feature on the official soundtrack which is released on October 25th. The movie is set to hit the UK on November 5th.